Submitted by Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy
A clown mayor is among the characters at the festival.

Submitted by Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy
A doughnut eating contest is part of Red Skelton Festival festivities.

Prepare for color, clowns and laughter.

The 8th annual Red Skelton Festival in Vincennes, Ind., kicked off Wednesday and continues through Saturday.

The highlight of the four-day festival in Vincennes — the hometown of the late Red Skelton, a well-known comedian, social commentator and clown — is Saturday's Paint the Town Red festival and Clown parade.

"We are celebrating Red Skelton's legacy of laughter," said Anne Pratt, director of marketing and development for the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy. "And Red was all about clean, family fun. That is what this whole festival is about. Every day we are giving families a chance to really enjoy themselves and honor Red's legacy."

Saturday's festival is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Vincennes and includes a doughnut eating contest, clown beauty pageant and clown parade with clowns traveling from across the country to honor Skelton and celebrate the art of clowning.

The festival began in 2006 as a way to help raise funds for the museum that is scheduled to open next month. The museum that celebrates Skelton and American comedy is attached to the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center on Vincennes University's campus, Pratt said. But in 2009 the festival changed its focus to becoming a "family fun" festival environment.

From 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday will be a Red Skelton film festival at the Fortnightly Club, 421 N. Sixth St.

Friday's festivities include a cornerstone dedication at the museum by the local Masonic group, of which Skelton was a member, at 6 p.m. at the museum. At 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center will be the Clown Follies show featuring local talent and former CNN anchor Dave Goodnow performing one of Skelton's best-known routines, "The Pledge of Allegiance," where he explains the pledge word by word.

"This is a wonderful event for families," Pratt said. "You aren't going to see a more colorful or fun parade than this one with all of these clowns. The entire festival is fun and it is a different type of event that you won't see everywhere."